IVUS involves one or more ultrasound transducers emitting ultrasound energy based on received electrical signals and sending return electrical signals based on ultrasound energy reflected by various intravascular structures. IVUS is often used to generate images. In some instances, a console with a high-resolution display is able to display IVUS images in real-time. In this way, IVUS can be used to provide in-vivo visualization of the vascular structures and lumens, including the coronary artery lumen, coronary artery wall morphology, and devices, such as stents, at or near the surface of the coronary artery wall. IVUS imaging may be used to visualize diseased vessels, including coronary artery disease. In some instances, the ultrasound transducer(s) can operate at a relatively high frequency (e.g., 10 MHz-60 MHz, in some preferred embodiments, 40 MHz-60 MHz) and can be carried near a distal end of an IVUS catheter. Some IVUS systems involve mechanically rotating the IVUS catheter for 360-degree visualization.
Many IVUS systems are configured to perform pullback operations, in which imaging components of the catheter are translated through the coronary arteries of a patient while acquiring images. The result is a 360-degree image with a longitudinal component. When performing a pullback operation, however, it can important that components of the IVUS system are secured properly to assure that the proper components translate relative to others. When components are not secured properly, the pullback operation may not yield the desired results. Moreover, when a pullback operation fails, the IVUS system operator is often left unaware that a pullback operation is not working until after it has been performed, and even then, may not be sure why the pullback operation did not work appropriately.